Parque Global, São Paulo, Brazil: Enea’s green utopia transforms a brownfield site into a lush urban neighbourhood

Enea Landscape Architecture has been commissioned to design the landscape architecture for Parque Global in São Paulo, Latin America’s largest urban development project. This major redevelopment of an extensive brownfield waste site between a forest preservation area and the Pineiros river will create a new city neighbourhood that encompasses mixed-use residential, parks, recreation, shopping, health and education facilities. The project expansive project will open in several phases between 2025-2027. Its ambition is nothing less than to transform this former waste area into a green utopia between the river and the forest, creating a new urban district that is defined and connected by its lush, forested landscape of native Brazilian plants.

In São Paolo – and at this site in particular – it is vital that the landscape architecture encourage the city’s reforestation efforts and connect Parque Global’s landscape to the nearby forest, so the forest flows into and around the project. The project is located in the Butantã area in Southwest São Paulo and near a park designed by the legendary Brazilian modernist landscape architect Robert Burle Marx, from whom Enzo Enea and his team drew inspiration.

The landscape concept is also inspired by the site’s history, where the Pinheiros River once meandered naturally before being channeled in the 1930s. The river’s natural curves were backfilled, and the land was used for industrial purposes. The site was eventually abandoned and left as a brownfield site until it was acquired by Bueno Netto in 2002. During the following years, several studies were made on the market changes, the region’s valuation, the infrastructure development and the need for urban development projects in the city of São Paulo. Through these studies an innovative project was created for the site as a mixed-use concept. The landscape design restores the site’s original rhythms, using the historic river forms as inspiration for the geometry.

Phase One of the Parque Global project includes the main park and private gardens surrounding the five high rise residential towers. On the ground level, large mature Jacaranda trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia) greet the visitors in the arrival areas in front of the buildings. Art is integrated into the landscape in a separate sculpture park near the arrival area. Around the residential towers there are several tennis and sports courts. For children, two playgrounds in the South and the North of the complex can be found. A meandering nature trail connects all of these leisure facilities while inspiring a sense of discovery. The central park and the private residential gardens are planted on the podium level, above the parking garage. This lawn is designed as a park for events and activities. For the design of the individual gardens of the five residential towers, Enea took cues from the international theme of the development, and designed gardens inspired by:
o Regent garden – Regent’s Park, London
o Prospect garden – Prospect Park, Brooklyn
o Sempione garden – Parco Sempione, Milan
o Imperial garden – Imperial Gardens, Tokyo
o Ibirapuera garden – Parque de Ibirapuera, Sao Paulo (designed by Burle Marx)

Each of them creates its own mood and is characterized by specific plant selection and water features.
The swimming amenities are located next to the central park. They include an indoor pool, lap pool, main pool, lounge pool and a children’s pool combined with various lounge areas under tree canopies and pergolas, cabanas and lounge chairs. This area also features a gym, which includes a spa and a sauna.

Phase Two of the Parque Global complex will complement the residential towers with major public amenities, including a hospital, medical centre, university, innovation hub, hotel, shopping mall and branded residences. Enea’s landscape design will connect all of these new developments and create a new ‘green quarter’, with trees and green roofs that cool and clean the air and enhance biodiversity by attracting pollinators. Dense trees and understory planting at ground level will provide green pathways, privacy and a connection to the surrounding park and forest. Pedestrian and bicycle paths will be separated from roads with a thick buffer of vegetation. The hotel drop-off area – planted with more Jacarandas and lush understory – will be located next to the metro station. Still on the ground level, there is a residential park which will include a playground, outdoor fitness area, dog park and dog spa (a growing trend), lawns for various sports and activities and meandering paths through trees.

At the heart of this Phase Two complex will be the vibrant Boulevard Parque Global, a vast 10,000 square meter public garden plaza. Located on the podium at the 5th floor, the park connects the different buildings, providing privacy to residents, but also outdoor spaces to meet for workers and visitors. Enea’s landscape design will create different moods for the various aspects of the complex: privacy for the residential areas, quiet and calm for the hospital, and vibrant outdoor spaces for the university, where people can meet and exchange ideas. In particular, the promenade between the university and the central plaza includes a formal Gueroba palm tree (Syagrus oleracea) grid with large stone furniture to sit on, fountains on the ground to cool the air, create sound and to play in, a thick buffer of planting between the hospital and the promenade to create privacy.

The Boulevard Parque Global‘s vegetation consists of native Brazilian plants only – a palette which was developed in collaboration with a local team of habitat restoration experts. The plantings will grow organically around the central plaza and its restaurants, cafes, works of art, and long benches that wrap around planting and spaces for rest and contemplation. Crucially, this expansive central plaza brings a human dimension and counterpart to the tall towers, surrounding them at ground level with tree canopies, parks and understory planting.

A viewing terrace between the university and the hotel will include a café and bar, as well as seating areas with city views and paths weaving between lush plantings beneath flowering canopies of Cambuci and Uvaia (Campomanesia phaea, Eugenia pyriformis). The private pool deck for the branded residences will include a infinity and kids pool, cabanas and sun loungers, a childrens’ play area, beach tennis court, a spa and outdoor bar and grill beneath a pergola. This park will become a new green hill between the medical center and branded residences, extending from the ground up to the fifth floor podium (above the parking garage), by planting mature trees and lush understory vegetation.

Parque Global creates a new kind of urban landscape – one bounded and connected by nature. Here Enea’s landscape architecture plays an active part in building a new neighbourhood in São Paulo, a green urban utopia inspired by Brazil’s iconic modernist landscapes, its native species and the urgent need for reforestation to combat climate change and create a better future. In recognition of this achievement, the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) bestowed the Design Award in April 2024.